U.K. HOUSING POLICY (2)

In my earlier post, I pointed out that the already crowded U.K. is likely to get even more so during the course of the next 40 years, as it becomes the most populous country in Europe.

The 2010 figures for net migration demonstrate clearly why this will be so. Immigration remained stable at 591,000, but there was a slight fall in the number of people emigrating. So net migration (the crucial figure for population, and so housing) rose to 252,000, the highest figure on record.

The Government has promised to bring this figure down to the tens of thousands by 2015, but it is difficult to see how. Expect this issue to rise up the political agenda during the remaining life of this Parliament, as the shortage of affordable housing becomes worse.

Walter Blotscher